Yeah right. So far he's announced to the Press that it was just dumb luck and he bought a convertible BMW with his anticipated revenue he's going to get from his name recognition. He's also told a group of lawyers at the elevator bank that his criteria for 1st Assistant will be "the one with the biggest boobs."

If the Dems were worried about having Judge Kevin Fine on the ticket, they should be defecating in their pants at the thought of Oliver. If they are getting behind him at all, it should only be in the process of getting him to withdraw their names.

Love him or hate him, Adrian Garcia is a decent candidate to headline the Democratic slate in November at the top of the ticket. Lloyd is going to undercut any credibility Garcia brings to the table. It will be like a sitcom.

If I'm Democratic Leadership right now, I'm begging Lloyd to withdraw. Going with no candidate for D.A. is better than going with Lloyd.

Thought you (and the public) should know that this week was a FREE seminar in Austin dealing with forensic issues and the office only sent one person...Roger. Lance went, but that was only because he was teaching.

Free seminar that trial bureau ADAs could benefit from and they send Roger, the joke of an administration continues.

I'm torn about this now as I always intended to vote for Zack in the general. On the one hand I think a vote for Lloyd would be a slap in the face to Zack and common sense but on another, I have this nagging feeling that Lloyd's characterization of Mike might be real close to the truth. I'll have to read up between now and November I guess.

by Connie Cone Sexton and Betty Reid - Mar. 18, 2011 07:10 PMThe Arizona Republic .It took a little effort to get Lloyd Oliver into a dress coat in 2001 as he prepared to receive a 24-karat Congressional Gold Medal for being one of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers. But when he saw the Marine Corps C-9 plane sent by his fellow Marines to take him to the Washington, D.C., celebration, his shy demeanor fell away and he beamed.

Oliver, who died Wednesday at age 87 of pancreatitis, is being remembered as a humble man, a talented silversmith and proud patriot.

Under an Oliver administration, I think either Lykos or Leitner would be named First Assistant based on Oliver's desire to have the biggest boob in that position. Oh, wait, the biggest boobs. Never mind.

Pretty sure it was because she was among the Leadership Team last Wednesday that was dressed down by Lykos for "causing her to lose the election". Although RP took the 5th to protect Lykos, it gave Lykos bad press.

Would loved to have overheard that meeting where Lykos threw them under the bus one by one.

Why is it always a BUS? At least with Lloyd it COULD be BIG BOOBS? Not a bad change. Just think, how it would read: D.A. Lloyd Oliver, Wendell, Cromwell, George, threw employee under a pair of big boobs causing said employee's own moral to go up and more employees to begin intentionally getting into trouble to FACE the same fate.

11:11 I can't be all bad. My one vote went for your guy back when y'all were scrimping and scraping for them.

9:37 That characterization would be: "Off the bench he’s a nice guy. The kind of guy you’d like to go fishing with." Still, Oliver says he signed up because he thought Anderson might win, labeling him a "tyrant" as a judge, a man who would make a great prison guard, but a poor district attorney.

Like I said, my intent was to vote for Zack in the general. I figured that a Dem who has the respect of his Repub colleagues is right up my alley philosophically speaking.

So tell me about Lloyd. You all seem to be quite familiar with him. Is he just a boor or is he an incompetent boor?

All y'all who think Judge Fine is "soft" on criminals, talk to Darren Castleberry. That's the same thing his attorney thought when his client pled guilty of multiple sexual assault charges without an agreed rec in front of him. Several consecutive life sentences later, I'm not sure that Mr. Castleberry and his attorney would do the same thing next time.

I heard today that the Grand Jury has been "given" an investigator... none other than one of her over-paid cronies from the County Attorney's Office... Well I guess that is one way to see what they are up to!!!!! The timing of this move is especially suspicious. Seven months and counting.....

In an era of tight government budgets, hiring freezes and even layoffs, a number of local leaders have the luxury of dipping into millions of dollars stashed away in funds not provided by taxpayers.

The discretionary funds are raked in after seizures from gambling raids, drug busts, or amassed from fees for writing hot checks or welshing on county highway tolls. Local elected officials have used the millions to buy bullet-proof vests, fund international travel and install video equipment in police substations and courthouses.

Seven of the 18 funds, including a million-dollar fund overseen by Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan, are not required to be audited and don't have to report their spending.

Since taking office in January 2009, Ryan has spent at least $2.2 million from the fund to augment staff salaries, hold a catered staff-training event at Minute Maid Park and hire a phalanx of outside legal counsel and consultants. Ryan even paid a North Carolina filmmaker $100,000 to produce a documentary on illegal dogfighting.

The 18 funds - controlled by the sheriff, district attorney, constables, county commissioners, county attorney and fire marshal - hold a total of $38 million, according to the most recent accounting by county auditors.

State lawmakers recently tightened regulations and oversight of Texas' asset forfeiture laws after abuses surfaced, including in the East Texas town of Tenaha, where police had confiscated cash from more than 140 motorists without going to court.

Two high-ranking Texas court officials, a South Texas district attorney and a state district judge from Kerrville, have been prosecuted for misuse of forfeiture funds.

Meant to fight crime

"It's intended to take the profits of a criminal act away from the wrongdoers and using it to fight additional criminals," said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who chairs the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. "It's a hell of a concept if used properly, but it got off track. If you use it wisely for proper purpose, it's a home run."

Under the new rules, property cannot be seized without a forfeiture suit filed in court, and the state attorney general can bring a civil suit to recover funds that were improperly converted, Whitmire noted. "And it has to be used for criminal justice purposes," the senator said. "You can't have golf tournaments, use it for entertainment or for whiskey. It's got to be for fighting crime."

When questions lingered over the accuracy of breath-alcohol testing equipment in Houston police vans, District Attorney Pat Lykos in January provided $470,000 to HPD to buy four new testing machines and modern video recording equipment.

It was a small portion of the $18 million on deposit in five funds available to Lykos, funded largely by cash, cars and property seized in criminal investigations as well as fees for collecting hot checks passed at local businesses.

Lykos said all property is seized through court proceedings, adding that law enforcement receives 70 percent of the funds, her office get 27 percent and 3 percent goes to the county. She said grants made to law enforcement are brought before Commissioners Court, although her office is not required to do so.

"My guiding principle is to protect the people of Harris County," Lykos said. "So grants were awarded that would enhance law enforcement and thus public safety. Other grants were used for technology, to do more with less. With the budget freeze in September 2009, we couldn't replace people who retired or moved."

DA audited each year

Lykos listed - in her office's most recent report of state asset seizures filed with the Texas Attorney General - expenditures of $2.3 million, including the purchase of $460,000 worth of computers and software. Other items were firearms and protective vests, dues and license fees, training, online law books, parking fees and cell phone service.

About Me

I practice criminal law and criminal law only. I've been involved in the criminal justice system since I was in college, and I've been practicing in Houston for over 17 years.
Most people never have to come down to the Harris County Criminal Justice Center unless they have jury duty. This blog is meant to give the Outsider an inside view.
These are just my opinions. The opinions of the Commenters are also just their opinions and I don't endorse them. But (within reason), I want everybody to be able to have a forum to say what they want to say.